Rajon Rondo didn’t grow up wanting to be the most self-assured player in the NBA. He grew up wanting to play football for the Packers. Rondo didn’t watch much of the NBA as a kid, and instead was centered on becoming a quarterback with his favorite football team. While he played QB in high school and credits the position with making him a better point guard on the hardwood, he eventually decided on basketball because he found he had the best chance in that sport of going pro. As only Rondo could put it: “I was starting to dominate and I don’t want it to sound like I’ve got a big head but the competition around me was easy.” At Oak Hill, he played next to Josh Smith, who was a big-time star. Rondo was considered nothing more than a really interesting top-level college prospect. Funny how these things work out right? … Xavier Henry says he’s ready for a breakout season in New Orleans after knee surgeries derailed his first two years in the NBA. The backup two guard told the Lawrence Journal-World that he’s hopeful he can finally play a full season after having arthroscopic knee surgery this summer to clean everything up. We still remember Henry as a high school senior getting hype as the best player in his class, and he hasn’t come close to fulfilling that. In college, he was solid but unspectacular, and in the NBA, he’s been almost nonexistent. Even in high school, he wasn’t as dominating as his hype would’ve had you believe. So here are a few reasons why we’re skeptical about his “breakout” this season, and not all of them have to do with his skills. First of all, it’s hard to breakout when you’re backing up one of the three or four best off guards in the game (Eric Gordon) and must contend with another high draft pick (Austin Rivers) for minutes, AND when you don’t have a legitimate point guard known for having great court vision. It’s also never a good thing when multiple knee surgeries before the age of 22 comforts you. We’re not experts in that field, but we’re pretty sure that’s a bad thing … And free agents Mickael Pietrus, Kenyon Martin, Tracy McGrady, Michael Redd, Leandro Barbosa, Josh Howard, Derek Fisher and Gilbert Arenas are still without teams. Outside of Arenas – who we think is done in the NBA – and Pietrus – who says he will sign overseas if he doesn’t get more than a minimum deal – we think all of these guys will eventually find homes. But where? Howard seems to be the only one drawing legitimate interest at this point, and even though that can be expected sometimes with older veterans, it’s still a little shocking to see the market dwindling for people like K-Mart, Barbosa and even Redd. How sick would a team of these dudes be in 2005? T-Mac running the point forward next to Fisher, with Redd on the wing canning jumpers and Martin underneath the hoop clotheslining people and fouling the hell out of everyone. Add in Arenas, and they could do some serious damage … We’re out like “the best shooter in the world.”